Trust no one

Regarding Sasha's column last week ["The Perfect Fit," Nov. 6]: I have a warning for the bi-curious chick whose letter was published in the same column. If her husband says he's okay with the idea of her bisexuality, he's either not that much into the marriage or he assumes that she's going to continue preferring him. (I'm assuming here that he would be less okay with the idea of her going out and having sex with a bunch of guys.) Does he think that it'll be a great way to shift the burden of foreplay to someone who actually likes it, so that he gets to benefit from a hot, horny and still-unsatisfied wife? Is he prepared for the possibility that not only will she be satisfied, she'll decide she prefers women, seduce her best friend and leave him? Is she prepared?

­Alison Cummins

Hey, anglos! Get over it

Isn't it ironic that the only people talking about Raymond Villeneuve are the anglo media ["Terror comes of age," Oct. 30]? The only mention of him in the francophone media was on the TV show La fin du monde est à sept heures, which portrayed him as the crackpot that he is. I only can imagine how people perceive Quebec if they only read your paper: "As reprehensible as his views may be, they force us to consider the worst." Please get out of the ghetto and get a life.

­Charles Quenneville

Commission work is good for kids

In response to your article about young people working for commission ["Child labour at The Gazette," Oct. 23], I must say that it unfairly characterized commission work as being "child labour." I own and operate a marketing company that sells newspaper subscriptions. Some of the people who work with me are under the age of 18. While it is true that commission work can be challenging, my salespeople are very well compensated. I cannot speak for other organizations, but I can say with certainty that my marketers are happy with their work and their pay. Moreover, these people learn that their success is dependent only on their own efforts. A successful salesperson earns larger commissions and so learns the value of their efforts and determination. I find it hard to imagine these kinds of lessons being learned at the average fast-food restaurant, where the only evidence is that the harder one works, the more money someone else makes.

I personally did commission work as a youth and observed these lessons first-hand. So too did some of my own high-school friends. These individuals have taken these lessons with them to other professions: veterinary medicine, teaching and urban planning, to name only a few. While it is true that working by commission can be tough, it can also be rewarding both financially and personally. Learning to work with people, to get people to listen to you for a moment and to understand that success comes from within, are among some of the most important lessons any person, regardless of age, can ever learn.

­Derek Hiller, President - Global Media Marketing

More Open City testimony

Allow me to add my voice to the controversy around Open City Productions 2002 ["Open Season on Struggling Artists?" Oct. 9]. In 1995 and 1996 they employed me as an art teacher, for a total of six months. I had two consecutive contracts at the same school in 1995 and a third at another in 1996. I performed well enough to get excellent references from the first school and, obviously, two repeat performances.

Initially I was thrilled to work for them because I was impressed with their mandate to promote art and support artists. Eventually, disillusionment set in. Many pay days came and went while I called their office repeatedly, waiting for days and then rushing downtown to pick up my badly needed, barely adequate paycheque. I didn't receive any apologies or explanations other than the usual "the government subsidy is late" or "the director hasn't signed them yet" excuses.

Director Glenn Hilke was consistently unavailable for consultation. The few meetings I was asked by the administration to attend with other teachers lacked focus and appeared unproductive. Office staff morale was generally low, and the four administrative staff members whom I found supportive as individuals have all moved on.

­Sabine Roloff

CORRECTION

The photo of a Halloween party-goer which appeared in last week's issue [The Front, Nov. 6, page 4] incorrectly identified the individual in costume. In fact, the glamourous queen in question is none other than Lady Rita of the Beaver Sisters. The Mirror apologizes for the error and meant no disrespect whatsoever to you, Lady Rita Ma'am.